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U.K. Foreign Secretary Hague gives statement on Syria arms embargo

U.K. Foreign Secretary William Hague gave a statement on Tuesday in which he welcomed the European Union's decision to end the arms embargo on the Syrian opposition.

"Tonight EU nations agreed to bring the arms embargo on the Syrian opposition to an end," Hague said. "This was the outcome that the United Kingdom wanted. It was a difficult decision for some countries, but it was necessary and right to reinforce international efforts to reach a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Syria."

The Syrian civil war has been raging for over two years and has escalated in the past year. The war has been wreaking havoc on the civilians and soldiers in Syria. Over 70,000 people have died in the conflict and millions are without homes and sometimes seeking refuge in neighboring countries.

Earlier this month, concern mounted because of a shipment of missiles from Russia to the Syrian government. Officials from the U.S. and EU believed it had the potential to prolong the suffering in Syria.

"Thousands of lives are at stake in Syria," Hague said. "Our focus remains on efforts to secure a successful outcome at the forthcoming Geneva conference, and a political transition that ends the conflict, allows refugees to return to their homes, and prevents further radicalization in Syria."